NEAR CLEAR INFO
**This is a "living" document as this material is still pretty new and we're learning new things about it everyday. Check back here from time to time for updates.**
• Near Clear comes in two varieties, Soft 00-31, and Medium 00-45.
• It’s beautifully transparent!! Colors pop, marbles have multiple deep layers that we can barely capture with our camera, and glow is ultra bright.
• It is platinum cure silicone and it comes with the same *Skin Safe* certification as it’s older siblings, Sorta Clear 18 (rock hard, anyone?), EcoFlex, and Dragon Skin. Get that cool jelly look without the extra yikes.
• It’s compatible with your favorite water and oil based lubricants, but beware that using a silicone lube may make any silicone toy swell a little bit, or a lot.
• This stuff is REALLY clear, so take note that discoloration from darker lubes, bodily fluids, or slight clouding/yellowing from heat (storing in a sunny window or boiling for extended periods) **MAY** make staining more apparent. Are we saying it’s guaranteed to stain? No.* Are we saying that because this is a very clear material that you may see stains or flaws more apparently? Yes.
• Speaking from our own experience, this material is harder to process. For us, it required smaller batch sizes, took a lot longer to vacuum bubbles out, and had a higher flop rate. Because of this, we have opted to charge a bit more for items made with Near Clear.
• Will we continue to stock it? Probably, but much like eggs/egg pens, XXLs, and ShopDad surprises, anything that takes more processing time will likely be more rare in our drops since it requires that we change up our entire workflow to make it.
• Items made with Near Clear may have small bubbles visible on the bottoms of their bases, but this will not impact use.
• Storing items made with Near Clear on a textured surface, or a the bottom of a storage container may cause imprints, folds, or bends. As well, nail marks will be more apparent, so handle with care!
*For info from the manufacturer specific to heat and discoloration:
https://www.smooth-on.com/products/ecoflex-00-31-clear/
https://www.smooth-on.com/products/ecoflex-00-45-clear/
• Near Clear comes in two varieties, Soft 00-31, and Medium 00-45.
• It’s beautifully transparent!! Colors pop, marbles have multiple deep layers that we can barely capture with our camera, and glow is ultra bright.
• It is platinum cure silicone and it comes with the same *Skin Safe* certification as it’s older siblings, Sorta Clear 18 (rock hard, anyone?), EcoFlex, and Dragon Skin. Get that cool jelly look without the extra yikes.
• It’s compatible with your favorite water and oil based lubricants, but beware that using a silicone lube may make any silicone toy swell a little bit, or a lot.
• This stuff is REALLY clear, so take note that discoloration from darker lubes, bodily fluids, or slight clouding/yellowing from heat (storing in a sunny window or boiling for extended periods) **MAY** make staining more apparent. Are we saying it’s guaranteed to stain? No.* Are we saying that because this is a very clear material that you may see stains or flaws more apparently? Yes.
• Speaking from our own experience, this material is harder to process. For us, it required smaller batch sizes, took a lot longer to vacuum bubbles out, and had a higher flop rate. Because of this, we have opted to charge a bit more for items made with Near Clear.
• Will we continue to stock it? Probably, but much like eggs/egg pens, XXLs, and ShopDad surprises, anything that takes more processing time will likely be more rare in our drops since it requires that we change up our entire workflow to make it.
• Items made with Near Clear may have small bubbles visible on the bottoms of their bases, but this will not impact use.
• Storing items made with Near Clear on a textured surface, or a the bottom of a storage container may cause imprints, folds, or bends. As well, nail marks will be more apparent, so handle with care!
*For info from the manufacturer specific to heat and discoloration:
https://www.smooth-on.com/products/ecoflex-00-31-clear/
https://www.smooth-on.com/products/ecoflex-00-45-clear/